Spindle and roll core assembly for air filter apparatus



Oct. 25, 1966 o. c. PARROTT SPINDLE AND ROLL CORE ASSEMBLY FOR AIRFILTER APPARATUS Filed May 15, 1965 INVENTOR. a/v/M/e Cf ar/0t! UnitedStates Patent 3,280,539 SPINDLE AND ROLL CORE ASSEMBLY FOR AIR FILTERAPPARATUS Orville C. Parrott, Fern Creek, Ky., assiguor to American AirFilter Company, Inc., Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware FiledMay 13, 1965, Ser. No. 455,375 2 Claims. (Cl. 55-354) The presentinvention relates to automatic air filters and more particularly toautomatic air filters of the type employing an elongated air cleaningweb adapted to be progressively advanced longitudinally across an airstream passage to clean dirty air as it passes through such passage.

The present invention finds particular applicability in those structuresknown in the art wherein a supply of filter medium is furnished on aroll mounted in a supply ZOne at one end of a filter, is withdrawn fromthe roll and moved through an air cleaning zone for air cleaningpurposes and is finally directed into a discharge or rewind zone at theopposite end of the filter where it is manipulated into a roll packagefor disposal. It is to be understood that the present invention is notto be considered as limited to a specific filter medium or structure,but that it can be utilized in any one of a number of known filterstructures wherein any one of a number of known types of filter mediumin roll form is progressively advanced across an air stream passage toclean air as it passes through the passage.

In the prior art, various type spindle arrangements have been utilizedin the rewind zone of aforedescribed filter arrangements to support thecores on which rolls of filter medium mate-rials are manipulated intocompact packages for disposal. These spindle arrangements, some of whichhave been designed to grip a roll core when rotated, for the most parthave been cumbersome and complex in construction and maintenance andhave been limited in use. The present invention provides a spindlearrangement which can be utilized in the rewind zone permitting fast,firm gripping of the inner wall of a roll core in a straightforward andefiicient manner. In addition, the arrangement of the present inventionis economical in construct-ion and maintenance and can be readilyconverted to use in the supply zone if and when occasion arises.

Various other features of the present invention will become obvious toone skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.

More particularly, the present invention provides: in an air cleaningdevice of a type employing an elongated air cleaning web adapted to beprogressively advanced longitudinally across an air stream passage froma supply zone to a rewind zone; an improved rewind assembly forsupporting and rewind-ing contaminant loaded media on a roll corecomprising: a substantially rigid longitudinally extending multi-sidedspindle; and a flexible cord disposed between the roll core and thespindle to extend along one side of the spindle to wedgingly engage withthe inner wall of the roll core when the spindle is rotated for rewindto lock the roll core on the spindle. In addition, the present inventionprovides a novel end plate arrangement for the spindle wherein at leastone end is removably splined in spring-loaded fashion so that thespindle can be readily loaded for rewind purposes.

It is to be understood that various changes can be made in thearrangement, form and construction of the apparatus disclosed hereinwithout departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing which discloses one advantageous embodiment ofthe present invention:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational perspective view of a vertically disposedfilter arrangement including the inventive filter spindle apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view, partially broken away,disclosing the novel roll core gripping arrangement for the spindle;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of one end of thespindle of FIGURE 2 disclosing the novel manner in which the spindle canbe compressed for insertio-n into the filter unit;

FIGURE 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view disclosing the roll core asit is mounted on the spindle; and

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 disclosing the spindle as it isrotated with the cord thereon wedgingly gripping the roll core mountedon the spindle.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, a roll-type filter housing 2 isdisclosed in vertical position. Housing 2 includes top filter mediumsupply section 3, central air treating section 4, and bottom filtermedium rewind section 6. It is to be understood that a supply roll offilter medium can be mounted in wound form in supply section 3. Thissupply roll, which can be comprised of a web of any one of a number ofknown suitable filter medium materials, is advanced incrementally fromtime to time into and through the central air treating section 4 whichframes the air stream passage through which the air to be treated mustflow. As the web is progressively advanced through central section 4,the web filters the contaminants from the air stream. The web is thencorrespondingly progressively advanced to the rewind section 6 where itis wound on a spindle 7 into a discharge roll which can be ultimatelythrown away or reconditioned. Suitable drive motor and web meteringcontrols, known in the art and not shown, can be utilized to advance themedium progressively in the manner aforedescribed.

As can be seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, spindle 7 is of asubstantially rigid, longitudinally-extending mult-i-sided form and canbe made from any one of a number of suit-ably selected, lightweightfabricating metals. Advant-ageously it is hollow and is of rectangularcross section. Fastened in slack manner at the opposite extremities ofone side of spindle 7 intermediate the edges of such side is cord 8.Cord 8 can be formed from any one of a number of known flexible,compressible materials and advantageously an economical and readilyavailable cotton rope-like material can be utilized. The cord isfastened to the side of the spindle 7 by suitable cord fasteners 9 whichcan be in the form of electric terminals, screws 11 being utilized tohold fasteners 9 in position. It is to be noted that cord 8 isproportioned in length relative to the length of the spindle andfastened thereto with sufficient slack so that the major portion of thecord can extend along the edge of the side to which it is fastened whenthe spindle is rotated. It also is to be noted that cord 8 has aselected diameter which advantageously is slightly less than the maximumperpendicular distance between the side of spindle 7 and the inner wallof roll core 12 mounted on the spindle when the edges of such spindleside abut against the inner wall of roll core 12. Accordingly, as can beseen in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawing, when spindle 7 is rotated, cord8 moves to one edge of the spindle side on which it is mounted towedgingly engage between such spindle side and roll core 12 firmlygripping the roll core in fixed relationship to the spindle so that thefilter medium material can be readily Wound onto the core as the spindleis rotated.

It is to be noted that spindle 7 is provided with end plate members 14and 16 and that end plate member 16 is removably splined to spindle 7 inspring-loaded fashion. To accomplish this (FIGURE 3), a stop platemember 17 is fixed inside hollow spindle 7 to provide a stop "for oneend of helical spring 18. The other end of helical spring 18 engagesagainst one end of coupling member 19 which is slidably mounted withinspindle 7, the coupling being provided with a slot and pin arrangement21 which determines the limit of movement of the coupling within spindle7. The other end of coupling 19, which also is hollow, receives endplate shaft 22 on which plate 16 is mounted by some suitable means suchas welding, the shaft 22 and coupling 19 being held together by pin 23.It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that a suitable drive meansincluding a suitably recessed coupling can engage the other end of shaft22 to drive spindle7. To mount spindle '7 it only is necessary tocompress end plate 16 against spring 18, inserting the spindle inthe-bearing supports (not shown) provided in rewind zone 6 of filterstructure 2.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an air cleaning device of a type employing an elongated aircleaning web adaptedtobe progressively advanced longitudinally across anair stream passage from a supply zone to a rewind zone; an improvedrewind assembly for supporting and rewinding contaminant loaded media ona roll core comprising: a roll core; a sub-stantially rigidlongitudinally-extending hollow spindle of polygonal cross section toprovide a plurality of fiat longitudinally extending sides, saidspin-dle being arranged to extend through said roll core with said edgesof said spindle serving as the only Contact lines between said spindleand said core; a flexible, compressible cord fastened in slack manner atits opposite extremities to one of said fiat sides of said spindleintermediate the edges thereof so that the major portion of said cordextends along an edge of said flat side when said spindle is rotated,,said

cord having a selected diameter slightly less than the 3 maximumperpendicular distance between the side of the spindle and the innerwall of the roll core to be mounted References Cited by the ExaminerUNITED. STATES PATENTS 676,335 6/1901 Moffatt 242-46.3 1,105,951 8/1914Bagnall 24255.2 1,261,356 4/1918 Brown 24246.3 1,391,326 9/1921 Killiam242-55.2 2,166,320 7/ 1-939 Posatsky 242-55.2 X 2,507,042 5/1950 Osborn55354 X 2,579,440 12/ 1951 Palmer 55-290 X 2,582,010 1/ 1952 Crosby242-7-2 2,875,680 3/1959 Forshee 55-354 X r 2,881,859 4/1959 Nutting55354 X 2,901,626 8/1959 Becker 55-290 X 2,956,757 10/ 1960 Limbach242-46.3 3,007,651 11/1961 Palmore 55354 X 3,007,652 11/1961 Heckman24272 3,013,630 12/1961 Palmore 55 354 3,020,976 2/1962 Hyatt 55351 X3,022,959 2/ 1962 'Blake 24272 3,098,731 7/1963 Greene et al 55-351 XFOREIGN PATENTS 65,415 2/1947 Denmark. 516,937 1/1931 Germany. 850,48810/ 1960 Great Britain.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner. D. E. TALBBRT, JR., AssistantExaminer.

